Football shoulder pad



April 1953 H. GOLDSMITH 2,636,170

FOOTBALL SHOULDER PAD Filed Dec. 28, 1950 INVENTOR. BY WW6,

ATTQENEY5.

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 FOOTBALL SHOULDER PAD Hugo Goldsmith, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Sport Products, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 28, 1950, Serial No. 203,052

This invention relates to protective armor for football players and is particularly concerned with an improved pad for protecting the shoulders, neck and upper chest of the player.

Shoulder and neck pads are conventionally constructed in pairs of identical units, one unit being fitted on each side and thepair being joined. together centrally, usually by lacing in front only or in front and in back. One simple and yet very practical type of construction includes the principal elements of a pair of body members of identical construction joined together centrally in reverse position to provide the neck opening, and a pair of cap members or epaulets, one of which is joined to each body member and extendsoutwardly therefrom on a hinged connection. Rigid fibre sheets molded to the desired form have been the preferred material for both the body members and the cap members, and the hinged connection has usually been'a leather or elastic web.

In effecting the assembly just described, the principal difficulty has been to provide a hinge which meets all of the necessary requirements.

First of all, it is essential that the cap members pivot upwardly on the body members to a substantial degree in order not to hamper the upward movement of the players arms in throwing and catching forward passes and raising the arms for other purposes incident to the game. It is";

most important, it is essential that the hinge be 3 so constructed and ailixed as to almost complete 1y prevent sidewise movement or skewing of the cap members with respect to the body members. If such skewing occurs, it will frequently happen that the cap member will be displaced from,the

shoulder joint which it is intended to protectand resultant injury to the player becomes probable. Since the rules of football and the players comfort prohibit the use of metal plates in the hinge construction, it has been a continually existing problem to effect a satisfactory hinge from soft material such as leather, elastic or the like which will not be subject to one or more of the objections mentioned. 7

The present invention contemplates a simple expedient for the solution of this problem predicated on the concept that lateral movement of the cap member can be almost completely avoided without imparing the upward movement provided the hinge is positioned and secured in such a 2 Claims. (01. 2-2) 2 way as to substantially eliminate all slack between the points of'securance and provided further that the points of securance are spacedapart transversely to the maximum degree permitted by the width'of the hinge. a

One of the particular objects of the invention, therefore, has been to provide a shoulder pad construction in which the cap members are free to move upwardly and downwardly with respect to the body members but one in which 'sidewise movement or skewing is almost completelyprevented.

Another object has been to provide hinge construction between the body member and cap member of a football shoulder pad in which sidewise movement of the cap member with respect to the body member is substantially prevented by the elimination of a, large part of the slack ment is further restrained by the positioning of the hinge attachment member at the extreme transverse end of the hinge.

A further object has been to improve the efficiency of a hinge of the character under consideration by utilizing the body of the hinge as a cushioning element between the body member,

' and cap member, thereby accomplishing the dual purpose of eliminating hinge slack and providing. a cushion or shock absorber at the movable'joint between the members. Other and further objects conjunction with the drawings in which: a

embodiment of the invention.

- Figure}; is a plan view of one body member and cap member unit with the cap; member in extended position. r i v v Figure 3 is a similar plan view of the same unit member in elevated position,

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the: line. 5 -5,.

Figure 2.

Referring again to the drawings andythe closed, inasmuch as the two sides of the construction of theunit 10 are identical except for a; reversal, of positioning, the, description. will be limited to the right side of the construction as illustrated in Figure 1. As shown, this comprises and advantages will be. apparent from the further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in,

Dre ferredyembodiment of the invention therein dis:

with the point of the shoulder and to increase the rigidity of the construction.

A tab 48 is preferably secured to the front face of the body member by rivets Wt" Loops 2'0 This hinge is preferably i'ormedi'rom one, or possibly more sheets oleather,..fabric or the like and. inclndesra generally, elongated rectangular body. portion 2.5; is adaptedto be disposed on theupper surfaoeof the cap. member 5'3 and a...pair=of inwardly extending tabs 26 which are.

adaptedlto; besecured; to the upper surface of the body member and to occupy a cushioning posi tionrbetween .the body men'iber and the cap memberwhen the latter is in extended position in the. manner illustrated generally in Figure 5.

Itisan essenti'altfeature of. the invention that the hinge be folded downwardly around the inner edge of thecap. so that the. side of the. hinge; which is exposed. in the cap attachment becomes the; concealed side in. the body member attachmentandso that; the two points of attach mentare in substantial vertical alignment as illustrated best in Figure .5. Rivets 2'! and 28' comprise the preferred: attaching means. inboth cases, although. it will be obvious, of. course, that othermeans of attachment may. be provided if desired; Asbest shown in Figure 5' when the. cap member- [3 is-intheextended position, hinge 24 assumes a U-Iike'configuration, being secured to the upper, portion, of cap. i3, folded back over the inner edge of the cap, and secured to the outer; Inward movement is. prevented. by the tautness of the hinge sheet, leaving no excess material to permit p y;

In the. preferredsattachment of the hingeto-the: cap. member as illustrated particularly in Figures 2 and 4, the rivets 2"lor other attaching means are preferably located closely adjacent the inneredge ofthe cap member; Similarly as illustrated particuiaily in Figures 3 and 4, the rivets joining the'tabs'fifi to thebodymember are positioned as close to the edge of the cap member as ispracticable. It is also essential to the invention that the attachment-means" 21 be closely adjacent. the outer ends of the body member 25 and that the attachment means 28'- be =clo'sely' adjacentvthe outer end's oi the" tabs 26. By virtue ofthis construction and arrangement; the maximum amount of slack which would otherwise be pres ent in a hinge of this type. is. eliminated, first. by

4 insertion of the hinge member between the body and cap, and second by the positioning of the attachment means. The positioning of the hinge between the body member and cap member not only assists in the elimination of slack, but also provides a cushioning joint which effects a smoother hinge movement.

Whi-lethe invention ofcourse, a simple one, the construction. which is provided effectively eliminates the objectionable skewing of the cap members and thereby increases the degree of protectionaiiorded to the shoulder joint and collarbone. The construction is inherently strong and rugged and fullyv resistant to all normal shocks and blows.

Hail-inst iull-y'described my invention, I claim:

1. A football shoulder pad construction including'apair of arcuate body protecting members encircling the neck of the wearer, said members including a top portion coinciding with the center oithe. arealone. whichv said. members. are configurated, a. pair of capmembers. extending out.- wardly from, said body members; to. protect the shoulder. joints... hinge means for mounting the cap members to the. body members, said hinge means including a flat sheetv of foldablemateriah said. sheet assuming a U-likeconfiguration when said cap. member is, inthe extendedposi ti'ou, one edge of. said sheetbeing securedto the upper, suriaceof the cap member, the sheet being ioIded'Jba-ck over. the inner edge. of the cap. and. beinsdirectlysecured to the outer. surface. of, the body. protectivemember onthe. topportion therei. of, the points of. securanceofj'said 5 root member to. said cap and saidbody member being. in .sub.-..

stantial, vertical alignment. adjacent. the. inner edges of said. cap. whereby theamount. of. binge. freematerial isminimized; j.

2.. Ida football shoulder padlconstruction in-l eluding; a. pairoi arcuate neckiancl upper body protective members encircling the neckbi the. wearer,, said membersincluding a topporit-ionfcoinciding, substantially with, the. center of the. are along which. said. members. are configurated, a. pair oiicap members for protecting the shoulder joints, one of said cap. members extending out-1. wardly from each, body member, hinges. for. mounting thecap members upon the body meme. 1 bers, each'ofv said hinges comprising.fiexibleifiat. sheet materiaL. said; sheet. material being. secured to the upper surfaceoi a cap.,mernber,,the points. of securance of said sheet. material to said capmember being. disposed closely adjacent the inner. edge oi; saidcap. memberasaid sheet. material; inelcluding. two. tab; portions,,.said tab portions being. wrapped arounds'aid inneriedgeof, thev cap mendberm extended outwardly, .and secured idirectly to thegupbfi i. surface. of. a bodyfmember on the, top. portibnthereof the two tabpojrtions of. said sheet. materialrbeing; secured to. the. body membe s, pointsadiacent to one.- another, the points-0f; securance. of said. sheet. material, to. said cap and. said body member being in substantial vertical alignment adjacent the, inner edge of said. capsaid tab portions. of said sheet, material, being.

interposed in. the joint bythe body member and caprmember. .HUGQQQLQSMI-TIIH,

References Cited in the file of this patent...

UNITED STATES. PATENTS I Nfurriber Name Date 21,251,013 Lookabaughuwusfls July 194 

